Asylum
by cryptic.kitsune
Summary: Kurama visits an insane asylum after become an intern for a psychiatrist, and his experience with a pyrokinetic patient goes awry. [Complete]
1. Moronic Monotony

**Asylum**

**Moronic Monotony**

I sat on the ivory, fluffy comforter and resumed reading _The Junior Classics 2: Stories of Wonder and Magic. _I reread my favorite story from this volume: _The Tale of Three Tails._ It is a story involving a tree talking to a very befuddled man about animal's tails in days past. The tree explains how several animals decided on their tails, but the man never fully understands. I interpret this as a flaw in our race. We are so closed minded and we refuse to accept anything but the norm. It adds to our stupidity level.

I slammed the book and listened to the blast reverberate around the empty, white cell. The only things in my room are the set of _The Young Folks' Shelf of Books_ in a stack on the white tiled floor, a bed mat, also on the floor so you couldn't fall of it, which was covered with a heavy, white blanket. The asylum was under the impression that I could strangle myself with the lighter, thinner sheets. That's it. No flames, no life, no nothing; just me, my books, my bed, and my pure, white, sterile cell.

I replaced the green volume below the first red and pulled out the blue text underneath. This is my most loved book out of the set, _Junior Classics 3: Myths and Legends. _And the most worn story in the book you may ask, that would be _the Spirit That Lived in a Tree. _The story involves a living tree who was growing old, but did not want to die. So, he gave his soul to his most frequent visitor - a fox. The fox gained immense wisdom after gaining the soul. The fox used his knowledge to blend with a form of new creature invading the land as he also did not want to be killed. Eventually, he lost his foxy appearance and looked like the new creatures, save for his tail and large ears which he refused to part with. When the fox died of old age he again inhabited another body. Now, the new creatures were more prominent and the fox was forced to hide his ears and tail. He now looked exactly like the new creatures, but his cunning never left him. The fox was never found out by the new creatures. The new creatures were, of course, humans who were too stupid to find the outsider. He is one of my favorite characters and I draw out the story frequently.

The large fluorescent light on the ceiling blinked out. I sighed and slowly shut the book and placed it next to be bed before pulling the slim, white, "no clasp" ponytail out of my sleek black hair. I slipped under the comforter as I had missed my stretching time for the evening, and tomorrow was going to be Saturday. My coal, straight hair fanned around my face as I closed my eyes and tried to block out the everlasting feeling of being watched by the security camera in the corner of my cell. The silence in my holding became a lightly sung lullaby as I begin to succumb to my beloved darkness that is bliss.

My eyes flicked open and I immediately flipped onto my stomach, burying my head in the pillow. Three…two…one… the light flickered on and my door opened to reveal Clara. Clara bounced in wearing her normal white pleated pants and shirt that all the nurses at my home wore.

"Boker Tov, boker tov," Clara continued to sing her usual round in an obnoxiously falsely hyper tone. There was nothing more I loathe more than people who are spurious, but incompetence _is_ up there. "Good morning Leiko," Clara chirped as she plops an egg bagel and cream cheese on a metal tray next to my bed. I rolled over and sat up. The last time I tried to ignore Clara she began to sing that horrendous "morning" song and shook me until I responded. I picked up the chilled metal tray. It always puzzled me how the tray was cold year round. As I bit into the bagel, Clara sat behind me, running a brush through my disheveled morning hair. "Did you sleep well?" I remained silent. I refused to speak to anyone, not since I came to my first asylum, that is. "Lovely dear," Clara continued, having a conversation with herself as I had not answered. I put down my bagel, not hungry. "Alright dear, off to the showers you go," Clara said as she had every morning past three months.

I slinked out of bed and followed Clara's bouncing blond head down the hallway to the showers. Clara let me in and waited outside the door, as always. I striped and stared at my wrists and then my slender, tanned waist in the mirror. The scars were still there. I had had always been a very solitary person, but after Mum and Dad were slaughtered I was shocked into silence. Soon after, the cold depths of solitude got to me and I wanted nothing more than to be with my parents again. I stepped into the shower stall and yanked the knob, turning it all the way to the left. The now scolding water pounded on my back. I needed the heat. It serves as a punishment for my refusal to conform and a reminder of fire which has so long been banned from my sight. I pictured the flickering flames and smiled while lathering up my mid length, sleek hair. The suds fell and my smile broadened as I imagined the steam in the room to be gray as smoke. It choked and smothered my senses, blocking out all remembrances. I turned the water off and stepped onto the white floor towel and grabbed the white bath towel. I dried off and draped the towel around my slim shoulders and I brushed my hair up into a high ponytail. I opened a cabinet under the sink and pulled out a set of neatly folded clothes and quickly dressed. Now in a pair of jeans and white long sleeve, oval necked shirt I reached for a silver necklace with a pendent that resided on the white marble counter. It was a sterling pendent of a small, sitting fox. I smile as I fasten the clasp and think of Dad.

_Dad stood behind me clipping the new necklace together. He was a tall and burly man from the northern of Italy with warm, chocolate eyes as soft as his mop of dark curls. Dad bent his knees and bounced up and down a little to keep his balance while in his squat position. "You've always been a little like a fox, Leiko," he said, blue eyes sparkling, "Smart and quick, not to mention a little sneaky." He finished, punching you lightly on the shoulder. I giggled and wrapped by small arms around his muscled neck. He picked me up and twirled my eight year old self around, laughing in his deep voice. _

I exited the bathroom and Clara smiles, "Wow, that was fast." That's Clara for you. She feels that all the "mentally problemed" people needed were lots and lots of praise, and she was ready and waiting to dish it out. If only she meant the things she said. She gestured to a large, pale lavender book bag on the floor next to her. "It's Saturday," she reminded you, "That means you get to go to the art center and then pay a visit to Dr. Sakinawa." Oh great. Back to the physiatrist I go. I have been to asylums and doctors all over the United States, but Sakinawa was my first in Japan and my favorite and least favorite all at the same time. All the other physiatrists had been very persistent, but not Sakinawa. He believed I was a hopeless case and just let me use my two hour session to work on homework. I liked that he left me alone, but it's a little unnerving that he just gave up.

Clara led me to the entrance of the asylum. At this point another guard took over and led me outside the soundless sliding doors and into a white station wagon. This guard also believed me to be hopeless and didn't bother to talk to me on the ride to the high school. I am now attending Meiou (me-oh) High and am making no friends. Since I don't talk and the teachers have told all their students about me being a mental case, and to top it all off, I was in special classes with only other kids from the asylum or who were slow. I sighed as I walked into the building and quickly sped in front of my guard in haste to get to the art room. The school was hosting an art program for all the people in your classes. Art therapy, they call it.

As usual, I'm the first one there and took my seat that faced the corner window and was near a speaker. The teacher felt that classical music would help us. Most of the kids hated it, but I found it comforting. The sound rose and fell like the flickering of a passionate, all-engulfing forest fire. It was my only escape. I unzipped the backpack and shuffled through the books and folders for school until I find my sketch book. It was already a quarter of the way full of pictures of people I've seen around school, of my view of the forest out the art room window, some fires, and ,naturally, the fox from the story. I flip to an open page and grab a large 50 color box of pencils and began to sketch out the forest as the others trickled in. I added the last golden leaf to the fall scene and glance at the clock. 2:30. Damn. I have to leave already. I packed up silently and then walked over to Kaidou who was over by the door. He walked out to the car, I follow; and then we were on our way to Dr. Sakinawa's office.

Kaitou dropped me at the front desk and then sprinted out of the skyscraper. I walked past the front desk, up the twelve flights of stairs to the doctor's office and enter the open office.

"Afternoon Leiko," Dr. Sakinawa stated in his monotone. You gave a polite nod and headed to your normal couch on the opposite side of the room, but not before noticing a new presence in the room. I let my back pack drop to the floor before shooting a questioning look at Dr. Sakinawa. "Oh, this is Shuiichi Minomino. He is an intern from Meiou High School and will be with us for quite some time," he turned to Shuiichi, "Shuiichi, this is Leiko. An apparent trauma case from the asylum, but consider this your free period as she isn't going to talk to you."


	2. Can Shuiichi Fail?

If anyone would like the version of this with less mistakes and, sorry to say, no yu yu hakusho, then just ask and I will e-mail it too you. ( personally think this version is better, but cannot post it on and please review!

**Can Shuiichi…_Fail_?**

I plopped onto the couch and pulled out my personal C.D. player and flicked through the array of music I carried with me, and decide on Lost Prophets; the group did sing "Burn Burn" after all... I push play, slip on the head phones and begin to work on my Algebra II. I was a year ahead of the rest of the normal kids in my grade, special or not.

The intern approached.

Shuiichi wheeled up a chair and sat in front of me. "Hi Leiko," he voiced in a calm, near comforting voice that sounded almost as if it wasn't completely fake - almost. I looked up. A mane of bright poppy hair surrounded his pale face. His bright green eyes shone with hope as he looked at me. I hate to be the one to squash that hope, but I'll give it a fair try. I continued with my math. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here or why you refuse to talk?" I didn't even acknowledge him with a nod. "What are you listening to?" No answer. His smile faltered. I smirked mentally. The new ones give up so quickly. "What classes are you taking?" I don't answer, but gesture to my pack, giving him permission to look through. He took the hint and began to look through my folders. Then he came to the sketch book and flipped through the pages, but looked oddly surprised and confused. "Would you mind if I kept this for tonight and gave it to you at school tomorrow?" I looked up at him cocking an eyebrow in suspicion, but acquiesced with a small nod. He lazily flipped through my sketches for the remainder of my session while I did my work. He constantly looked over the notebook onto my homework, but I didn't see what was so interesting about straight columns of neatly written numbers. Unless they're in fire walls, that is.

Eventually, Dr. Sakinawa stood up, "Our time's up for this week. I'll see you next Saturday, Leiko." I closed the math book and hurriedly slip it into the pack before nodding a good bye and heading out the door.

Kaitou had forgotten to pick me up. Oh, is he busted. I walked home, enjoying the screaming guitar lines that were being pumped into my ears. I reached the asylum, walked in and went to my room. I didn't feel like eating. I sunk onto the bed and, after dropping my pack, focused on my right palm. The swirling, crimson orb formed. I had discovered how to do this a few months after my admittance to my first asylum. If I focus all my anger on the palm of my hand, the orb will form. I'm practiced and could summon it almost instantly. I chucked it against the wall, it bounced on the floor, and then I caught it. I did this for a while, still enjoy that I had my angry music in my cell.


	3. Are You Crazy?

**Are You Crazy?**

Kurama walked quickly out of the building and whipped out his cell phone. "Hello?"

"Hi Kasaan. I'm going to a friend's house, is that all right?"

"Sure Shuiichi, but don't be home to late."

"Alright. Bye Kasaan." The flip phone went back into the pocket. The teen walked around a corner and down an ally to his desired destination, a portal. He stepped through. After landing in front of his office door, pounded on it furiously.

"Come in!" Kurama flung the door open and went over to Koenma, completely ignoring his fellow spirit detectives who where already in the room. He flipped haphazardly through the pages until he found the desired one. "Kurama are you feeling ok?" His friends weren't used to calm, logical Shuiichi acting this nervous or sporadic. "This," Kurama near screeched as he held a drawing of what appeared to be a white youko in a toga standing in front of a large, withering oak tree.

"So…" Koenma said slowly wondering what the drawing had to do with anything.

"A girl at the asylum drew this," Kurama started in hopes that the baby lord would catch on. "It looks exactly like me in my past life," the frustrated Youko finished after no one made the connection. "She must be a demon in disguise or a physic or a Riekai person or…or…or…" His voice rose in volume as he became more desperate for an explanation.

"**_Are you nuts, Kurama!"_ **Koenma shouted, "There are a ka-jillion kitsune legends in the Neiginkai. She could have easily got it from somewhere else. You're losing your touch…"

Everyone one in the group turned to their function companion – and gaped. Kurama tried to do the same to himself but failed. (Close up on horrified Kurama face) Kurama, the know-everything function bishounen, had been…dare I type it…wrong.

The world as anime knows it is ending…


	4. Pyrokinesis?

**Too Much Time on Your Hands**

_Boing…sproing…_thunk. _Boing…sproing…_thunk. The smoldering, fire orb bounced from wall to floor to me. I had been concentrating on maintaining my little fire puff for nearly five hours now as I had finished my homework and had only to wait till lights out for my next activity. _Boing…sproing…_thunk. After seven years of moving from one asylum to another with nothing but empty time to fill, _Boing… _I had developed a way to keep me beloved fire _sproing…_ with me – thunk.

"What about this one?" a guard asked from the other side of the window. I didn't recognize the voice or features so I figured he was new.

"Oh, her," a second guard said dully completely oblivious to the fire. I didn't understand how he could not be entranced, but my attention divided between my precious fire and the loathsome guards. "She's not a fun one. Some babble on and on like Sakou and others will run into wall like that other one I showed you. Those are at least funny to watch; it's the only perk of working here…, but this one just sits and reads. She doesn't even respond to you. No fun… Well, come on," he concluded as he lightly shoved the new guard to the next block over.

I shook my head in pity. _Who would want to respond to someone like that?_ Such an idiot… People like him are why I don't bother talking. At first my silence was induced by trauma and a few social phobias, but in the past few years I've learned that the people who are arrogant and refuse to learn just weren't worth my time. I could easily talk, if I wanted, and get out of here, but then where would I go. To a foster home – where they would treat me like a child, not the 16 year old teen I was. Also…I didn't want new parents. I just wouldn't stand for it

_Chink…thud…click. _My door opened with a securing _sweoosh_ and the intern, Shuiichi I believe his name was, and another boy entered. He was about half a foot shorter than my self and his ebony hair stood on end like a series of horns that magnified the hate, anger, loneliness…the fire…in his crimson eyes. Shuiichi came and squatted down next to me just after my fire vanished and fixed his glittery, friendly, false smile on his face.

"Hello, Leiko. My friend and I are going to be working with you for a few days," he slurred in the high pitched voice you used to catch a straying puppy's attention. "Then, hopefully, you'll be cured. Won't that be grrrrrrrreat!" he finished with a squeaking 'great' that resembled Tony the Tigers 'great'. _Defiantly did **not** like this boy._ I sighed and got up to follow him and his friend.


	5. The End of Barny's Baby Talk

**The End of Barney's Baby Talk**

In front of us stood a large, glowing, teal oval that held a strange, yet friendly foreboding.

"Now, just follow me and everything will be alright," the red-head cooed in the happy, puppy tone once again. I rolled my muddy eyes in distain and followed the arrogant intern and his stony companion through the oval.

"Come," the shorter boy commanded as he stepped into an entirely black room and motioned for me to sit down. Everything in the room was dark as a moonless night sky; therefore, I couldn't tell what it comprised of. "I'm not going to give any and food or water or allow you to sleep until you verbally ask for it," he stated in a clipped tone.

I nodded and hunkered down for a long stay; I would just do what I always did – stay silent until I passed out and wake up in a very white hospital bed. Simple as can be…

"Hiei, I don't think that's a very good idea. She can't fend for herself; it's just not fair," Shuiichi reasoned. Hiei gave him a hard look and Shuiichi settled against the wall with perfect posture, still flashing me that fake 'don't-be-afraid-of-the-big-bad-man' smile. Gray shadows were cast across the room as I tossed a small, flaming sphere into the air and Hiei snuffed it out with the blink of one bloody, crimson eye.

A day or so passes

_Up…ark…_blink. _Up…ark…snuhhh._ I'd been playing this little game with Hiei for a while and neither of us was tiring of it. Throughout this entire time, his hardened gaze locked onto my cynical stare. I was earning a large amount of respect for this small man. I had undergone similar treatments before, but never had anyone gone to smack me when I tiered or when I left the room to get food. He was treating me like, if not an equal, something above a mentally challenged slug's level.

"Hiei, I'll be back in just a moment," Shuiichi said softly to the back of Hiei's head, "Leiko, don't worry. He won't hurt you and I'll be right back so don't worry," he chirped in the same tone he always used with me. Then he left the room. But, Hiei had earned enough of my respect for him to be told so.

"You like fire too?" I rasped out, my voice hoarse from disuse. He stared at me, confused for a moment, then nodded.

"Why are you talking?" he asked gruffly. I gave him a weak smile as my own gaze hardened with a feeling that brought small amount of bile to my chest. Little did I know, but a certain red-head had entered the room from behind my back.


	6. Nobody's Listening

**Nobody's Listening**

I got a Hear full of pain, head full of stress

Handful of anger, held in my chest.

"Most people are so arrogant that they can't see me as a real person, or even someone on their level, just because I'm slightly different than they are," I vented softly.

Tried to give you warning but everyone ignores me

Told you everything loud an clear

But nobody's listening

Called to you so clearly but you don't want to hear me

Told you everything loud and clear

But nobody's listening

"Nobody listens to what I had to say before I entered the asylums and nobody listened while I was in them…" _How could everyone think my parents committed such a bloody suicide? Why wouldn't they listen to me? I'm sure most people chose to die by chopping themselves to bits and then using the remains of hands to throw themselves into the fire place…It was my accomplishment, not some insane murderer. _"So, if nobody's going to listen, why bother to say?" I asked the stoic boy as a single tear welled in my hollow eye. He held my gaze with pride while the man in the doorframe, reflecting on his puppy talk, looked down at the dark carpeting and dropped the glass of water he had brought for me.

Heart full of pain, head full of stress

Handful of anger, held in my chest

Uphill struggle

Blood sweat and tears

Nothing to gain

Everything to fear

Heart full of pain


End file.
